Is This The Time Of The Islamists? To
Garner Popularity, Legitimacy, Immunity And Power

15 July 2012

By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed

In some Gulf states, as well as many other Arab
states, Islamists are endeavouring to play a larger
political role, believing that this is the time of the
Islamists, or rather the time of "political Islam." At
this point, we must clarify that when we use the term
"Islam" in this instance, we are not talking about
Islam as a religion or Muslims in general, but rather
the political groups that use Islam as a name, in the
same manner that some people incorporate the term
"nationalism" or "liberalism" in the name of their
political parties. However this is nothing more than a
name being used by political groups, and does not mean
that others are infidels, traitors or slaves. The name
is just an attractive slogan whose objective is to
garner popularity, legitimacy, immunity and power for
the political groups in question.

The problem is not the Islamists' right to the
presidency should they win the elections, as has
happened in Egypt and prior to this Tunisia. The real
problem lies in the present interpretation of history.
When Muhammad Mursi won the presidency of Egypt and
took the oath of office before the Supreme
Constitutional Court, this victory was echoed
throughout our region not because he had won the
elections but rather because he had taken power! Some
people were confused about what this moment actually
meant. Some Islamists, as well as their opponents,
considered it to be the beginning of a rule that is no
different than the military rule. They believe that
Mursi and his companions will remain in power for
another 60 years until they too are forcibly removed.
Whilst the Islamists considered this to be their
crowning moment in history, and senior Muslim
Brotherhood member, Safwat Hijazi, joyously
proclaimed: "This is the time of the United Islamist
States."

Some people believe that the new system regarding
the transition of power will be precisely the same as
the old, namely that rule is to be plundered. This is
also the opinion of those who are angry over the
victory of the Islamists and want to deny them the
right to rule.

I have an opinion on this matter, and this is not a
new one. I believe that contemporary Islamists are
important for the development of the concept of the
state. They can contribute to the building of a system
of rule that will achieve stability and progress. The
reason behind the failure of Egypt was that the
revolution of 1952 – which brought the military to
power – annulled all other powers including the Al-Wafd
Party and the Islamists. This is also because some of
the Islamists understanding of the concept of the
state emanated from their conflict with Mubarak and
the presidents that came before him. They have
therefore been unable to absorb the concept of the
civil state, namely a state not based on religion or
the military. If the Islamists learn to understand and
appreciate the civil state, they will have better luck
in government than their opponents, particularly as
Mursi came to power via the ballot boxes. However if
they turn their back on the civil state like Hamas did
in Gaza, they will lose all the gains they have made
and Egypt will enter an endless state of conflict.

I do not imagine that the Egyptians, who got rid of
totalitarian military rule, will succumb to a similar
form of religious rule. It is not true that people
will accept anybody who raises the slogan of Islam.
The Al Qaeda organization has attempted to use the
motto of Islam and failed. The rulers in Sudan raised
the banner of Islam and also failed. Iran is the best
example of a country that uses Islam as a cover, and
it also has failed. The Iranian rule is using the name
of Islam, whilst in reality it possess all the
shortcomings of Mubarak's rule in Egypt, Gaddafi in
Libya and Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen, in terms of
corruption, oppression and administrative failure.

We must also not forget that what is happening in
Egypt is a liberal democratic change, not the
imposition of an Islamic caliphate. After much
deliberation, the Islamists of Egypt named themselves
the Freedom and Justice Party. This is a liberal name,
expressing the Islamists understanding of the new
political culture. It also demonstrates the Islamists
awareness that the majority of those who risked their
lives and got rid of Mubarak were university students,
studying at Cairo University and the American
University in Cairo, rather than al-Azhar University.
These students, who were among the first to take to
the streets against Mubarak, did not vote for Mursi
during the recently-concluded presidential elections.
Whilst it is true that their candidate, Ahmed Shafiq,
did not win, they nevertheless remain a large
proportion of Egyptian society, just less than half of
all eligible voters. As for the current political
system in Tunisia, this is a liberal one, just like
the political system in Egypt, despite the fact that
the rulers in both countries are Islamists.

Al Rashed is the
general manager of Al -Arabiya television. He is also
the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al- Awsat, and
the leading Arabic weekly magazine, Al Majalla. He is
also a senior Columnist in the daily newspapers of Al
Madina and Al Bilad. He is a US post-graduate degree
in mass communications. He has been a guest on many TV
current affairs programs. He is currently based in
Dubai.